'THE use of voting machines which electronically record the voters' votes and electronically ascertain the election result only meets the constitutional requirements if the essential steps of the voting and of the ascertainment of the result can be examined reliably and without any specialist knowledge of the subject.' Thus did the German Constitutional Court declare the use of electronic voting machines unconstitutional.

The German Constitutional Court decision set the standard of transparency of the electoral process — that 'the ascertainment of the result can be examined reliably and without specialist knowledge.'